Epilogue

In May 2012, four friends set out to cycle the length of the River Thames over three days. 

There we were, fully kitted up, with the sun on our faces and a slightly breeze behind us. Months of planning and organisation had been done, and now the time was here to achieve what we set out to do; cycling from the source of England’s biggest river to the other end at the Thames Barrier, separated by some of England’s best countryside.

The GPS Route

Trip Summary

Four Go Down The Thames: Day 3 Photos

Foster at Staines Thames Footpath

Four Go Down The Thames: Day 2 Photos

River Hotel at Oxford

Four Go Down The Thames: Day 1 Photos

Braker Boys at Kemble Train Station

Four Go Down The Thames: Day 4, ...and relax!

The hotel at Canary Wharf was great and very comfortable.  After a sumptuous lie-in, and a hefty full English breakfast, we prepare for our final journey back to Waterloo.  However, this wasn’t all on bikes.  We took the Thames Clipper service all the way back to the London Eye, travelling through central London in style!

Four Go Down The Thames: Day 3, The End is Nigh

I started the day feeling surprisingly fresh, mentally at least.  We made another early start, aiming to get to the Thames Barrier before the final day of the Premier League finishes. 

Today we actually left on time, and made very good pace from Slough to Staines. 

Four Go Down The Thames: Day 2

Knowing that we had a lot of cycling to get through today, we attempted to make an early start.  I had had a somewhat disturbed night’s sleep, being woken by Foster to tell me I was snoring! 

We spent a little time in the morning finding a bike shop for Foster to replace his spare inner tube, having got a puncture yesterday afternoon.  Then it was onto the towpath out of Oxford all the way to Abingdon, and was just great with some great views of the river through the city.

Four Go Down The Thames: Day 1, The Adventure Begins

I hadn’t slept well.  It may have been nerves.  It may have been a million and one things going through my head such as have I packed and repacked enough times?  Have I done enough planning, preparation, and training?  Have I got the train times right?  Will I get there on time?  Will I even finish?  Then again, it may well have been the large amount of pasta I’d consumed the night before to ‘carb up’.  The day started off being rudely awoken by a text message from Shum at 4:30am.  Oh the hilarities of such a practical joke!

Living on Stanhope Road

Fosterball: After months of constant yet gentle reminding by my fellow charity cyclist chums, I’ve decided to tap a few hundred words via keyboard about my principle motivation(s) of doing this. I was coaxed into getting a bike by my good friend, Phil Newman, several months after his idea of doing a bike ride for charity was born into this world.



More after the jump